Orgies…your first thought is so wrong. Now find out why.

As Corporal Jones often said in the long-running BBC sitcom “ Dad’s Army ”: “They don't like it up 'em!” An old soldier, a veteran of the...

Despite the best efforts of historians, the internet is still awash with misconceptions about the Middle Ages. Many of these ideas were...

The spear’s endearing simplicity has seen it adopted by virtually all cultures and societies across the globe. Indeed, the history of the...

Correcting a documentary faux pas, discover the history behind men's braces (suspenders if you prefer).

Debunking the idea that people in the Middle Ages were ignorant and uneducated.

Dispelling the myth of the two-finger salute or V-sign originated in the Medieval period.

Despite the best efforts of historians, the internet is still awash with misconceptions about the Middle Ages. Many of these ideas were...

In the September edition of BBC History magazine Anatoly Liberman, professor at the University of Minnesota and author of An Analytic...

August 19th, 1588: On this day Queen Elizabeth I of England delivered her famous speech to her assembled land forces at Tilbury, Essex.

July 29th, 1588: On this day in 1588, the fearsome Spanish Armada is sighted off England’s southern coast.

Impressment, colloquially known as ‘the press’ or the ‘press gang’, was a means by which European navies could forcibly compel men into...

Wrecking Wrecking is the practice of taking valuables from a shipwreck which has foundered or run aground close to shore. Wrecks were...

Pictured below is a spear recovered from an outbuilding at a former family residence, at the time called “Parthia”, in Beckhampton,...

Crucifixion?...Good. Out of the door. Line on the left. One cross each. Next... Crucifixion is a method of capital punishment in which...

In an earlier article we explored the origin of the French dish Chicken à la Marengo which was named, according to a popular myth, after...

February 12th, 1554: England's forgotten queen, Lady Jane Grey, is executed for treason. In most popular histories, and as taught in...

In warfare, throwing weapons at your enemies has a very long history indeed. In its simplest form, rocks could be hand-thrown by early...

On This Day, December 17th, the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia began. Held in honour of the deity Saturnus, as its name implies,...

The diet of a Roman soldier consisted of wheat, rations of smoked bacon or fresh meat (when available, usually pork), vegetables,...